Project description:Cellular binary fate decisions require the progeny to silence genes associated with the alternative fate. The major subsets of alpha:beta T cells have been extensively studied as a model system for fate decisions. While the transcription factor RUNX3 is required for the initiation of Cd4 silencing in CD8 T cell progenitors, it is not required to maintain the silencing of Cd4 and other helper T lineage genes. The other runt domain containing protein, RUNX1, silences Cd4 in an earlier T cell progenitor, but this silencing is reversed whereas the gene silencing after RUNX3 expression is not reverse. Therefore, we hypothesized that RUNX3 and not RUNX1 recruits other factors that maintains the silencing of helper T lineage genes in CD8 T cells. To this end, we performed a proteomics screen of RUNX1 and RUNX3 to determine candidate silencing factors.
Project description:Functionally distinct CD4+ helper T (Th) cell subsets, such as Th1, Th2, Th17, and regulatory T cells (Treg), play a pivotal role in the host-defense against pathogen invasion and the pathogenesis of inflammatory disorders. In this project, DIA-MS-based proteome analysis was performed on naïve CD4+ T, Th0, Th1, Th2, Th17 and iTreg cells using Q Exactive HF-X (Thermo Fisher Scientific) to search for proteins that differ among the cell subsets.
Project description:Regulatory T cells expressing the transcription factor Foxp3 play indispensable roles for the induction and maintenance of immunological self-tolerance and immune homeostasis. Genome-wide mRNA expression-studies have defined canonical signatures of T-cell subsets. Changes in steady-state mRNA levels do, however, often not reflect those of corresponding proteins due to post-transcriptional mechanisms including mRNA translation. Here, we unveil a unique translational signature, contrasting CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T (TFoxp3+) and CD4+Foxp3- non-regulatory T (TFoxp3-) cells, which imprints subset-specific protein expression. We further show that translation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) is induced during T-cell activation and, in turn, regulates translation of cell cycle related mRNAs and proliferation in both TFoxp3- and TFoxp3+ cells. Unexpectedly, eIF4E also affects Foxp3 expression and thereby lineage identity. Thus, mRNA-specific translational control directs both common and distinct cellular processes in CD4+ T-cell subset. CD4+/Foxp3+ and CD4+Foxp3- cells were studied ex vivo or activated in vitro for 36h. Both polysome-associated and cytoplasmic RNA was isolated to enables studies of translational control
